Typewriting machine



Nov. 11, 1930. G. O. DEGENER 1,781,571

TYPEWRI TING MACHINE Filed Dec. 12. 1927 Patented Nov. 11, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GUSTAVE O. DEGENER, OF NEW YORK, N. 'Y ASSIGNOR T ROYAL TYYEWRITER 60M- PAN'Y, DTG, OF NEW ,YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK- 'rvrnwnrrme uacirmn Application filed December 12, 1927. Serial No. 239,492.

This application relates to back spacing mechanism particularly designed to be used in connection with power mechanism in machines such as shown in m copending appli- 6 cation, Ser. No. 243,063, led Dec. 28, 1927. It may, however, be employed in connection with other types of power mechanism since the particular means by which the lower lever is given its movement may be varied without 1 departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation with parts in section show ing the mechanism in normal or rest position.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the mechanism in operated position.

A' back space key lever A has a finger piece 1 and is pivoted to turn about an axis 2. At its forward end it has an arm 3, which con- 2 tacts near the end of its downward movement witha spring 4 contained in a bore of a frame member 5. The key lever also has a depending projection 6 which contacts with the frame member 5 to limit the return movement of the key lever to normal position.

The key lever is provided with a rearwardly extending arm 7 which is adapted when the lever is depressed to engage a universal member 8 mounted on a rock shaft 9 and having an arm 10 which is connected by a link'll to means for starting the motor which may be that shown in my application above referred to. It is to be understood, however, that the motor may be constantly running or that the starting means may be of various types without in any way affecting the operation of the back space actuating mechanism proper so that it is unnecessary to illustrate in connection with the present mechanism the particular means for starting the motor.

The key lever A may be returned to normal position by means of a spring 12 connected at one end of the key lever and at the other end to a plate 13 which is fastened to a transverse. frame bar 14. The underside of the key lever is provided with a recess 15 for a purpose hereinafter set forth.

A pawl; member 16 has a portion 17 bent over to engage the opposite side of the key relatively to each other.

lever so that the pawl may slide on the lower the pawl and guides it in'its to and fro move ment. The rear end 19 of the pawl member 16 normall closes the entrance to the recess 15. A s ring 20 coiled near one end about a pin 21 as its free end passin through an opening in an ear 22 of the aw 16 and normally holds the pawl in the igure 1 position.

Pivotally mounted on an axis 23 carried by a frame member 24 is a power lever 25. The rear end 26 of this lever is connected by a cushion and safety spring 27 with a p unger 28 which operates any desired form of back space mechanism. This ma be a back space mechanism such as shown in Patent to Hess, 1,009,514, granted November 21, 1911, or it may be any other 'formof back space mechanism which can be operated by a vertical movement of the plunger 28. The

spring 27 is employed\ to give a. cushioned movement to the plunger and also to allow movement 'of the plunger 28 and the lever 25 The front end of the power. lever 25 is provided with an offset 29 which is bent to one side and also extends above the upper edge of the lever. The upper edge of this ofiset nor-' mally engages the under side of a depending port1on 30 of the back space lever WhlCh portion forms the rear wall of the recess 15. The member 29 also isin substantial contact with the rear endof the sliding pawl 16 which is normally forced toward the rear as far as is permitted by the pin 18. An upward extension 31 on the power lever 25 is adapted to contact with the frame member 24 to limit the movement of the lever in clockwise direction.

An operating or ower shaft 32 which may be of the same c aracter as that shown in my application above mentioned, is provided with fingers 33 having their ends forming arcs of a circle which has its center coincident with the axis of the shaft. A star wheel 34 is pivotally mounted at 35 on the movement in the operation of the we. lliach of the arms 37 of the star wheel the end thereof a depression 38 which is I l are of a circle of the same radius as the of the fingers The power lever 25 n he. moved in one direction by gravity or by a spring 39 attached at one end to the lev r and at the other end to the spring suppo ing plate 40 carried by the transverse frame bar 314.

When the parts are in the. Figure 1 position and the key lever A is depressed the power lever 25 is also rocked to the Figure position and the rear end 7 through the mechanism described will start the motor if it is not already in operation. At the same time, this movement of the back space lever will cause the offset end 29 of the power lever to move the sliding pawl 16 forwardly against the tension of the spring 20 and the er l 2) will thereupon slip off the portion 30 iii the key lever and enter the recess 15, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. This permits an upward movement of the portion of the lever in front of the pivot 23 under the influence of the spring 39 and a corresponddownward movement of the portion of :r in the rear of its pivot.

J iown in Figure 1 the fingers or extensi us of the shaft 32 are rotating in the dir ""ion of the arrow in a circle 3 As the po' lever 25 moves downward the arm 37 designate l a will move into the are 7 The arm Z) w i at this time drop into position to be engaged by the next finger on the shaft 32 and the consequent movement of the star wheel will bring the arm a into such position that the next finger 33 will engage in the depression 38 in the end of the arm a. The continued rotation of the shaft 32 will therefore move the power lever to the Figure 2 position which will result in the correspond ing operating movement of the plunger 28 and of the back space mechanism controlled thereby.

As soon as this operation takes place the arm a. passes out of engagement with the fin- ,rger 83 and the power lever 25 will return to ward the normal Figure 1 position under influence of the spring 39. If the key lever has not yet been released the extension 29 of the power lever will contact with the lower surface of the portion 19 of the pawl 16 which pawl was moved to its rear position immediately after the end 29 of the lever passed from the dotted line position Figure 2 toward the full line position of said figure. '1 is will prevent any double actuation of the a space key even. though the key lever is .U promptly released. As soon as the lever e? d it will return to normal posit-ion and the end 29 of the power lever will slip oil 7 pawl 16 into the Figure 1 position and 1e parts will be ready for a subsequent opnation.

it will seen that the invention provides a very simple and efiicient mechanism for operating back spacing, devices in a power driven machine. The particular character of the back spacing devices is immaterial and as set forth above it is also immaterial whether the motor is constantly running or in what manner it is set into' operation by a depression of the key. These specific features are not herein claimed specifically. It is obvious that variousdetails may be modified without in any way departing from the spirit of the I ment out of operative relation to the source or"? power, said extension passing into said recess when the key is depressed, thereby permitting the power lever to assume operative relation to the power means.

2. In a back spacing operating mechanism for typewritingr machines, the combination. with a, source of power, a power lever adapted to be operatively connected to the back space devices and adapted to be brought into operative relation to the source of .ower, a key lever having a recess in its un or surface, a movable pawl on the key lever normally closing the entrance to the recess, and. an extension on the power lever engaging the under surface of the key lever and adapted to displace the pawl and pass into the recess when the key lever is depressed, such movement permitting the power lever to assume operative relation to the source of power.

3. In a back spacing operating mechanism for typewriting machines, the combination with a source of power, a power lever adapted to be opcratively connected to the back space devices and adapted to be brought into operatire relation to the source of power, a key lever having a recess in its under surface, a movable pawl on the key lever norn'ially closing the entrance to the recess, and an extension on the power lever engaging the under surface of the key lever and adapted to dis place the pawl and pass into the recess when the key lever is depressed, such movement permitting the power lever to assume opcrative relation to the source of: power, the extension passing out of said recess on the operative movement of the power lever and the pawl immediately moving to normal position to prevent double operation of the power lever.

4. In a backspacing operating mechanism for typewriting machines, the combination with a source of power, a power lever adapted to be operatively connected to the back space devices, a shaft having fingers with ends formed in arcs of a circle concentric with the axis of the shaft, a star wheel pivoted to saidv powerlever and having extensions provided in their ends with depressions adapted to fit the ends of said fingers, and key controlled means normally holding said power lever so that the extensions of the star wheel are normally out of the path of the fingers on said shaft.

' 5. In a back spacing operating mechanism for typewriting machines, the combination with a source of power, a power lever adapted to be operatively connected to the back space devices, a shaft having fingers with ends formed in arcs of a circle concentric with the axis of the shaft, a star wheel pivoted to said power lever and having extensions provided in their ends with depressions adapted to fit the ends of said fingers, and key controlled means normally holding said power lever so that the extensions of the star wheel are normally out of the path of the fingers on said shaft, the movement of the power lever when released bringing the extension on the star wheel in the rear of the shaft into position to be engaged by a finger, the consequent movement of the star wheel on the lever bringing the next extension into position to be engaged by the next finger whereby the lever is given its operative movement.

6. In a back spacing operating mechanism for typewriting machines, the combination with a source of power, a power lever adapted to be operatively connected to the back space devices, means normally tending to move said power lever into operative relation to the source of power, akey lever normally preventing said movement, means whereby the power lever is released for movement upon the depression of the key lever, and means to prevent a second operation of the power lever before the release of the key, said means including a recess in the key lever for receiving the adjacent end of the power lever, and a spring pawl closing said recess while the key lever. is in depressed position.

7. In a typewriting machine, a back spacing mechanism, and operating meanstherefor comprising a power shaft, a power lever normally disengaged from said power shaft, a spring tending to normally urge the lever into engagement with the. shaft, a key cooperating with the lever to normally retain the latter out of engagement with the shaft,

motor control means for a motor which is adapted to drive the power shaft, and means operated upon depression of the key to operate the motor control means and torelease GUSTAVE o. DEGENER. 

